The Commander tapped his index finger on the screen. “Hojo, aim your 30’s at the second window on the right from the entrance. I see a muzzle flash.”
“Target acquired, sir.”
“Fire!”
The window erupted in a hail of exploding cement. The dust enveloped the target like a gritty fog. All that was visible was firecracker lights continuing to explode around the window. Whatever had been there was silenced for now. A second 30 millimeter machine gun pair opened up. This time it was from behind the Commander.
“Sir, we have company.” It was Birk. The thrumming machine guns echoed through the radio.
“I need the closest 75 millimeter to the fence.” The Commander called out on his open line. “I need a shell point blank into the lock.”
“Yes sir.” The lizard like form of a Stryker moved passed his vehicle. Its’ turret lowered toward the glittering silver bars. It focused on a small box on the right hand side while the Commanders’ machine guns probed for possible anti-tank gun fire. A shudder went through the vehicle as it fired. A huge, billowing explosion rose up from the point of contact as the fence began to open slowly, nudged open by the physics of a 75 millimeter shell. Sparks trailed away from the point of impact. The electronic lock had been obliterated.
“Go!” He shouted to his driver and the vehicle began to move forward. “Follow us in, Birk. Collapse the pocket”
“Yes sir.” There was a shade of relief in his voice as machine gun fire echoed from the radio.
The Commander’s Stryker turned left slightly once inside the gate to allow others room. After a few tense moments the Commander knew that whoever was here had no anti-tank weapons. Two more vehicles made their way into the gate followed by the platoon of troops. The corporal in charge kept shooting glances over his shoulder. His big concern was to stay ahead of the slow, cumbersome figures heading toward the gate.
The platoon scurried close to the Stryker’s wheels for safety. A few ducked under a brief volley of fire from the main building again. The Commander tested his repaired machine guns and found them sluggish but effective. He grabbed the handle and felt the vibration of the rapid fire weapons. He wasn’t sure if he was hitting anything. That wasn’t the point. This was cover fire, allowing his platoon to get into position and assault the building. The back of another Stryker opened slowly to disgorge more troops to tip the odds further in their favor.
Smoke grenades ballooned in front of the entrance, perfect cover. Men with weapons raised and in crouching position moved forward at a quick step. The Commander fired a second burst above the soldier’s heads to keep the enemy pinned. A hand raised and tossed a canister into the building. A brilliant flash and a quick report brought the troops to their feet as they charged inside. The flash bang grenade had done its job. The shouting began a few seconds later.
“OKAY!! OKAY! WHOA-WHOA!!WHOA!”
The smoke began to clear like early morning mist retreating from sunshine. The figures came out one by one guided roughly by his soldiers. Their hands were behind their heads, covered in dust, one man sported a blackened spot on the side of his face, a flash bang could burn like that. The Commander eased himself up through the hatch and began to climb down the side of his Stryker. No casualties, good.
BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!
A fireball rose 150 yards away in the compound, it was like the misshaped head of a monster threatening their position. Specks of flaming debris began to rain down here and there. The prisoners and their captors alike ducked for cover under the new metal rain. The Commander tried to find its’ source with a hand over his eyes to shade out the sunlight.
He tried to jog his memory. Amid the chaos, firing, orders, counter orders and fighting, there had been something there.
A helicopter……
The body of the machine was burning fiercely now as the blades seemed to fall like petals from a dying flower. Flames licked around the inside of the machine and finally burned away and caused the plexi-glass windows to melt and pop out, they landed on the grass and concrete sizzling while their curved surface rocked back and forth. A second explosion inside the cabin, probably a fuel line, erupted and sent a second fireball into the sky. It was smaller, less voracious. But it made sure no one was getting their hands on this special kind of technology.
Gunfire.......
“Damnit.” The Commander scrambled up his machine to the radio. “What have we got?”
“We’re taking fire from the second level, sir.” The Corporal’s breathing was coming right through the speaker, “two, maybe three bad guys.”
“Okay, call in Able and Baker platoons” The Commander realized the building was built like a fortress. But this fort had too few people to man it. The ways in would be easy. “Have Able find a way in on the right and Baker on the left. Let’s box them in.”
“Birk, how is.....” his words trailed off as he turned the way that they had come. “My god...”
Birks’ vehicle was slowly backing into the fence while he fired another burst at the closest group. They scattered all over the grass like careless lawn decorations. There were thousands gathered at the first security fence pushing....pushing ....pushing. The concrete embedded posts began to bend to sheer, brute force. The top of the fence began collapsing into the grass inside Fort Knox. Figures began scurrying like spiders up the steel rungs. Birk was watching the deluge pouring through the first blasted gate. How do we stop this? Birk fired off one of his few remaining bursts. The shells riddled through the skin of the walking scarecrows and a few fell. A knee or cartilage that was hit by the massive shells was obliterated from their bodies. Their center of gravity would fail and the body would crash to the pavement to crawl. They’re still coming. It was a eerie feeling for the Commander as we watched Birk back up farther. It’s like shooting at a hailstorm isn’t it? How about the changing of the guard in the tides of time? He kept backing up, relieved at even the most miniscule increase in distance from them.
Safely inside the Commander called out for help and began pushing the fence closed. Birk was the last to pass through and he instructed the driver to turn around and push the square backside of the Stryker against the fence as it closed. Satisfied the Commander called for a halt and Birk eased down the sloped armor of his vehicle and landed feet first on the ground. The Commander’s attention seemed elsewhere as he was looking through the security fence. The slowly gathering pack began to arrive at the new fence line. It was hardly a collective emotion. The responses to the new barricade varied. Hissing, howls of defiance and hands that raked the metal links, feeling for a weakness. The Commander’s eyes slowing travelled from one face to the next. It was eerie to spot the threads of humanity they both shared. Dress, hairstyle and even occasional movements, here we are locked together for the rest of time. The Commander felt almost disembodied in the Kentucky sunshine.
He saw a thirteen year old girl. She had been watching him for some time. Her eyes were pus yellow like the rest. She wore a black goth-like long sleeved shirt with tight blue jeans. Her hair was a mixture of rainbows and blacks that had long grown out of any kind of pattern. It was her mouth that made him pause. She did not bare her teeth or hiss at him. Her mouth was a flat line on the right side of her face while the left was drawn up in almost a half-smile. Her head was arched to the right and raised in that rigid, stiff muscle tone that seemed to dominate the very way they walked. What is she doing?
Do you really think you’re safe? The upward curve of her
